


all i know is pouring rain

by michiko (afire)



Series: once upon a december [3]
Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band), Alternate Universe - Fandom, Edge of Tomorrow (2014), Edge of Tomorrow/5 Seconds of Summer Crossover
Genre: F/M, as it always is, i don't know what i was trying to achieve, i don't know what im doing, this is for margo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-02
Updated: 2015-07-02
Packaged: 2018-04-07 07:59:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4255590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afire/pseuds/michiko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are countless todays, countless tomorrows, countless deaths. Luke just wants to find a way to cope with it all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	all i know is pouring rain

Luke wakes up and squints into the glaring light once more. He sits up and rubs his head, using one hand to smooth down the bits that always stick up. He can't remember how long it's been since he started every single morning like this. Blinking the sleep out of his eyes, he swings his legs over the metal rail and onto the floor of the bunker, standing up and stretching once his feet have hit the floor.

His white t-shirt is rumpled in exactly the same way it's been for the past eternity, and Luke straightens it out with his hand, the way he always does. It takes the same seven and a half meticulous steps to get to the metal drawing cabinet, and the same 6 minutes to get his armour on.

Luke gets to the door and turns right, toward the outside world. When the giant metal screen slides away, he walks out and, like he always does, pauses for a second. Luke doesn’t know why he does that, everything always looks the same, but it helps him recalibrate himself, if just for a moment.

The smell of sulphur is evident in the air, it's not that he can smell it, he can _see_ it. The dirty yellow smoke floating lazily through the air. The sound of mimics is not far off. The aliens have invaded and well, they want this planet for their own. Luke heaves a sigh and starts jogging, his suit whining as the gears are put to the test, again and again as Luke fights the mimics. His suit is splattered with the neon blue blood that the aliens seem to bleed, but it doesn't matter, Luke knows that it'll show up squeaky clean in his drawing cabinet today.

He flicks the arm of his suit and blood splatters the ground. To his left, someone else is fighting a mimic. It's not a surprise, he's seen her here millions of times. Somehow, it's different. As he squints, he notices she's dodging the wrong way. After eons of watching her make the decision to either dodge left or right without interfering, Luke doesn't know why he jumps forward now, stabbing the mimic in the back seconds before its acid spit can hit her suit.

Breathing heavily, he stands up, kicking the mimic's body aside. The girl is still crouched in her dodge, and he extends a hand, aiming to help her up. She however, dismisses it and gets up herself, blinking at him once she's at her full height and can see his face. He can't help but notice her eyes, shining even through the plexiglass of her helmet, they seem to be as blue as the skies of the past, before the aliens invaded.

Luke was just about to ask her name when those beautiful blue eyes of hers widened, and he turns around just in time to see a mimic descending on him. Oh well, he thought, before closing his eyes and succumbing to the inevitable. It always felt the same, a glaring pain, and then darkness, and nothing.

He wakes up yesterday morning, squinting into the glaring light, like he always does.

* * *

Luke sees her every today, and as he goes through more todays, he remembers where the mimics are coming from. His suit creaks as he jumps to the right, flinging out an arm and bracing for the mimic that's going to come barrelling out in 2 seconds … and there it is, exploding against the metal of his suit. Two more are going to run in at 12 o' clock in about 6 seconds, and he ducks into a roll, bringing up two knives and slicing them into half.

Panting, Luke stands up and slides the knife back into the sheathes on the side of his thigh. He knows that if he turns to his right, he'll see the girl, he knows that she'll dodge to the left and slash at the mimic that's going to come careening in from the right. He knows that she'll dodge left again, not seeing the other mimic. What Luke doesn't know is why he shouts directions to her. What Luke doesn't know is why she immediately follows his instructions, and instead dodges to the right.

When the wave of mimics stop, Luke finally walks over. Her eyes are as blue as he remembers, and this time they're narrowed in curiosity. "I see you here every today." is his explanation. Luke can see that she doesn't understand, but isn't going to question it either. He's just about to say more when her eyes widen, and Luke can see the end coming before it even happens.

It has to come, eventually. If it doesn't he can't reset, and if he can't reset the world can't be saved. The pain is familiar by now, and he closes his eyes to wait for the darkness, which comes and goes like an old friend.

It's yesterday morning, and Luke wakes up, squinting into the glaring light once more.

* * *

"Dodge left twice, then right once. After that duck and roll, and then 15 steps to the right." Luke is reciting the moves from memory, going through them again and again is just about enough to ingrain it into his mind. Hailey, that was her name, he had found out one yesterday, nodded along.

"Dodge left twice, then right once. Duck and roll and 5 steps-"

"No it's 15 steps." Luke corrects urgently, "You always stop short and then-" he cuts himself off, flinching. Hailey doesn't need to ask to know that he's seen her getting ripped apart far too many times, and still hasn't gotten used to it. To her, it feels like she's never done this before in her life, but she knows that Luke's been going through this for eons.

"15 steps to the right." she says, trying to remember.

"Yes, because a mimic will be coming at you from the left and 15 steps gives you just the right amount of space and time to turn and kill it." Luke explains, and she can see in his eyes that he's seen the scene unfold in the worst possible scenario, many, many times.

They get up once the first wave of mimics crest the hill, they'll meet in the middle in 22 seconds, and then fighting will ensue. If everything goes to plan, they'll be able to get around to the outskirts of the city, and maybe get a vehicle there. It's a better mode of transport than the suits they have in right now in any case.

They get through the mimics just fine, and start jogging in the direction with the least amount of forest blocking their way. Forest makes for more hiding places for the aliens, and Luke doesn't want to go through countless more scenarios before finally making their way out of there. He's had enough of yesterdays, and more than his fair share of tomorrows, but he knows he has to carry on if the planet wants any chance of being saved.

Their suits are whirring as the round a corner and Luke suddenly halts, ducking down at lightning speed. A fraction of a second later a mimic flies over his head and screeches as it gets sliced in half by his knife. To Hailey, it looks like Luke can predict the future, but she knows that he's _seen_ the future, more times than she ever could count.

The city walls are growing closer, and as they near the tall brick structure, Hailey glances to the right, and it takes her by surprise, the look on Luke's face. She can immediately tell that this is the farthest they've come, to him anyway. It's as exhilarating as it is scary, because from here on out Luke doesn't know what's going to happen. Somehow, the adrenaline rush gives her a surge of strength, and she runs harder.

Not two minutes later, a horde of mimics surge out of an abandoned cabin. Hailey turns to Luke, and there's a smile on his face that says 'well what can you do?'

Luke whirls and slices and dodges as best as he can, but this time he doesn't have the added advantage of knowing what's going to happen next. He goes down first, which is his preferred way of dying. Luke doesn't want to see Hailey ripped apart, not anymore, never again. It's terrible, and every single time it happens his heart gives a sickening wrench before he gives up and succumbs to the aliens.

He tries to smile at her before the darkness overcomes him, Luke doesn't know whether it shows on his face, but he swears he sees her bright blue eyes shine in his last seconds.

Yesterday, he wakes up and squints into the light again.

* * *

The mimics look almost like friends now, at least they're alive. Which is more than Luke can say for the barren landscape that is currently Earth. His mantra of battle patterns run through his head and he follows his own instructions without question. He cannot be wrong after all. Hailey vaults herself over his back a second after he ducks and slices through the last mimic.

"There's a blue car behind that tree, behind it is a green one. 20 steps behind those cards, there's a truck. It's large, red and shiny, you can't miss it once you pass the collapsed house. Drive it around the corner and open the passenger door, leave the engine running."

Luke's said this so many times that it's starting to feel like nagging, but to Hailey it's the first time she's ever heard it, and she nods, starting to jog in the direction he's pointing in. Luke heaves a sigh, then gets to his feet and dusts off his suit. In a minute and a half, three more mimics are going to appear out of the tree, he picks up the gun someone else has dropped without looking and turns his head up to the tree, waiting for what will eventually come.

It takes him about 3 and a half minutes to dispatch the three mimics, and after that he's jogging toward the main road. Luke jumps into the passenger seat and Hailey is roaring off before he can even slam the door shut.

"They'll chase us, do not stop the truck." he instructs, cranking down the window and leaning out to shoot four precise shots and watching with grim satisfaction as the mimics crumple on the road behind them. Hailey speeds down the road, turning into the back alley of a dilapidated warehouse when Luke says so.

They run into the large metal building that once house the war planes, there's and old fighter jet sitting in the corner. Hailey starts towards it, only stopping when Luke doesn't move to follow. His eyes are cast downward, darting left and right.

"Something the matter?" she asks, taking a step toward him, concerned and just a little curious.

"It's just-" he breaks off and starts pacing. "I don't know what to do from here. If we run out another horde attacks us and we can't defeat this one. If we take the jet, they shoot us down, if we climb up on to the roof we'll last a second or two before they reach us."

Hailey contemplates this for a second. "Let's just run out." she says, walking toward the large metal door.

Luke's arm shoots out to grab her, "Hailey we can't. I've tried, so many times to see if we can take them out but we never succeed."

Hailey looks back toward him, blinking those blue eyes of hers again, "Let's try again." It's short, and simple. To the point. The amount of confidence in her voice, the amount of trust she has in him is enough to make Luke's breath catch.

He's silent for a moment before agreeing, taking her hand. "Together." he says. They always ran out separately before, maybe doing it together would make a difference.

Luke's unasked question is answered later, when Hailey is lying dead somewhere behind him, and he all but lets the mimics rip his body apart.

It doesn't.

He wakes up after the darkness fades, squinting into the light.

* * *

Luke's given up on trying to find a way out, now he's just seeing how weir the scenario can get. They've tried running out behind the fighter jet, pushing it along. They've tried setting the fighter jet on fire and sending it out, then climbing onto the roof. Hell they've tried cutting off the jet's propellers, setting them on fire, and throwing it onto the roof, though Luke doesn't know where he was going with that last one.

He just loves seeing Hailey's face when he explains their next completely ridiculous plan. A smile is not common in this day and age. What Luke sees are grim faces, and broken families. Hailey's smile more than makes up for all of the destruction that's going on outside the little bubble that Luke had unknowingly created around them.

He loves seeing those blue, blue eyes of hers light up when she smiles. It's like the light at the end of a very long, very dark tunnel that he never thought he would get out of. It's enough to give him the hope and motivation he needs to keep cycling through todays and yesterdays and tomorrows.

This time, they're ripping the seats out of the jet, drawing faces on them and setting them on fire before throwing it out on the roof and trying to sneak out the front door. Luke doesn't know how that will work, but perhaps it will be enough of a diversion for them to get beyond the city walls. That had been their goal since, Luke can't even remember when.

Countless scenarios, countless mimics, countless deaths that Luke still sees on the back of his eyelids when he closes his eyes. He was willing to die an infinite more times, if only he got another chance to try and save this godforsaken world with Hailey. He was willing to feel the pain, to say hello to the darkness and infinite number of times. As long as that meant that he was able to see Hailey again. Those blue, blue eyes of hers that seemed to sparkle with all the stars in the night skies that Luke no longer had the chance to see.

As they run out, and as the mimics surge forward, Luke smiles at her. A large goofy one, all teeth and cheerfulness. He smiles at her as he rushes into the throng of mimics, he smiles at her when she slices apart the mimics with a sharp flick of her knife, he smiles at her when he jumps in front of the mimic that's aiming its gun at her face.

He smiles at her as he fades into the darkness.

Luke wakes up with the remnants of that smile on his face, squinting into the light.

* * *

They’ve figured it out. They’ve  _finally_ figured it out. To get around the mimics, they had to run out and fight them straight on, but go straight for the head of the pack. Without their leader, the others scattered almost immediately. Luke, panting heavily, rolls onto his back from his position on the floor. Hailey is standing above him, watching as the mimics run away.

She reaches out a hand to him, leaning back to heave him to his feet. These suits are heavy, but they also come with added strength so everything nets off.

"It's just another minute or two to the city wall, if we run without stopping." Luke turns to her, and he can see in her demeanour that that's what they're going to do. Her hair is messy from the wind, and her face is blotched with dirt from the fight and her helmet cracking, but in the light of the setting sun, Luke doesn't think she's ever been more beautiful.

They start running together, killing off any stray mimics that are in their way. The adrenaline of the run, and the hope that's blooming in his chest makes Luke feel that this is it. Their finally going to make it beyond the city walls, and then they'll find freedom. Luke doesn't know how or when the planet will be purged from the aliens, but he does know that he wants to be by Hailey's side till the very end.

He's grown to love this girl, this brave, intuitive, intelligent, beautiful girl that makes the decision to trust him every yesterday when he stabs the mimic in half and tells her his story. He's grown to love her, and it hits him in the stomach with a jolt when he realizes it. Luke can't help but grin to himself, surprised and happy that he's still capable of loving someone, after all this time.

The city walls are looming closer, growing bigger with every step. Luke can almost taste the freedom that lies beyond. He doesn't know why the city outskirts are safe, but since the invasion, everyone has been saying that all you had to do to be safe was to get out of the city. Luke's not about to disagree with the majority.

A part of the wall has fallen apart, and Luke jumps over it, glancing back to make sure Hailey does the same. They find themselves in a tunnel. It's where the trains used to run, and they start jogging again. There's a bright light at the end of the tunnel, and Luke wants to know what lies beyond. He desperately wants to know what lies beyond this godforsaken city, what everyone on this godforsaken planet thinks is the safe haven.

They burst out into the light, and what Luke sees makes his mouth run dry. Rows and rows of mimics. These aren't the unorganized rouges that they encountered in the city. These are soldiers. These mimics are in squadrons and troops. Luke turns to Hailey, mouth open to apologize to her. To apologize for giving false hope when there was none. To apologize for everything he put her through.

Hailey isn't looking at him though, she's looking at the mimics and drawing the sword that they had picked up from the last skirmish. Hailey is ready to fight and Luke, who's willing to go to hell and back for her, draws his knives as well.

He casts one more glance at her and yells a battle cry as they run into the barracks of the mimic soldiers.

Moments later, he's jumping in front of a bullet meant for Hailey once again. Luke succumbs to the darkness, like he always does. Over and over and over again.

* * *

The light is piercing through his eyelids. Luke gets up and rubs his head. He swings his legs over the side of his bed, stands up and stretches. Commence straightening of white t-shirt, and the shrugging on of the armour.

He walks out, goes through the instructions that are running unconsciously through his head. Whirling, dodging, stabbing until all around him is the bright blue blood of dead mimics. Luke straightens, flicks blood off his suit. He stabs that same mimic again and comes face to face with Hailey. Luke looks into her blue eyes, the same ones that are going to stare back at him tomorrow. The same ones that are going to stare back at him after he breaks his promise that freedom will be beyond the city walls. He looks into those blue eyes that seem to hold all the answers in the world and shakes his head.

"No … just, not this time." Luke mutters to himself, turning and stabbing the mimic that's running toward him without even a cursory glance at its figure.

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by Too Many Times by flyingcrowbar. you can find me on tumblr at fightiingdragons. song title from everything has changed by taylor swift.


End file.
